Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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A Research Proposal
Presented to the Faculty of
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Strand
Leyte National High School
Tacloban City
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In Partial Fulfilment
of the Requirements for the Subject
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 1
(Qualitative Research)
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GROUP 1
March 2023
INTRODUCTION
Schools offer education and knowledge to its students. These students come to receive
education in order to achieve their hopes and dreams, to have a stable job, to have a better
life, and for other personal reasons. However, there are challenges from their academic
pursuits that they have to face. Challenges such as, academic pressure is something that most
students will have to confront. To top students in particular, this pressure is great. They have
to perform well in order to maintain their grade or to get a higher one. These top students are
those who manage to perform better in class than most their age, managing to attain high
These students are usually considered high-achievers in their academics due to.
making improvements that are far beyond what is expected of their age. Though it is part of
come to a point where it can lead them to stop learning, being consumed by academic
pressure. Numerous studies have shown that academic pressure can have a significant
negative impact on students' physical and mental health, family relationships, and happiness
(Sun et al., 2011; Zhang et al., 2016). The demands of society, their family, their school, and
occasionally even their own expectations are the source of this pressure (Luo et al., 2020).
These achievers often feel strained because of the pressures they experience in their
academic pursuits. These students always place themselves in opportunities that will help
them achieve their academic goals. However, high-achieving students are also neglected
when it comes to stress and overall, mental health. This is due to the fact that other students
think that these top students don’t suffer as well. This can lead to discrimination towards
these achievers and can also lead to these same students who discriminate against them, to
pin all the work on these top students when they are in groupings. One person cannot do a
hundred men’s job and yet there are still people who think that because these top students
perform well in class, they do not face any stress on their academics. Though they have their
own set of circumstances, these people who have this view on top students, don’t understand
the suffering and pain they go through. These high-achieving students are willing to sacrifice
their sleep, leisure time, and even their teenage lives to achieve their goals.
Apparently, this academic pressure amongst high achieving students can also be
observed in Senior High, Grade 11 and 12. This environment can be more stressful than the
previous levels. There are more assignments, readings, writings, projects, and group works.
That would be the case since this education level is preparatory for college. This environment
can lead to stress. However, it has been observed that there are high-achieving senior high
school students who can handle and cope with stress without the need of others. Strong self-
control ability can also relieve academic pressure and reduce negative emotions, according to
a study, which found that academic pressure can regulate adolescents' problem behavior (Xu
et al., 2018). That is despite the misunderstanding they receive from the people around them.
To begin with, many high-achieving senior high school students of Leyte National
High School (LNHS), particularly those from the Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM) strand, have done things that further improve their study habits. This
resulted in great records on their report cards, impressing their families, acquaintances, and
friends and this made the students with high-honors proud. However, this also made the
students feel pressure because of the expectation that they, now need to meet. Particularly,
this can be observed in the STEM strand, a competitive environment filled with competitive
peers. Most of them, if not all of them are being expected to be able to maintain their high
grades and everything to be easy for them to handle. This resulted in the neglection of the
well-being and lack of consideration of the obstacles that they, high-achieving students are
going through.
Chen and Stevenson (1995) found that -achieving students in Asian cultures
experience unique cultural and familial pressures that their non-Asian counterparts may not
face. These pressures may include a heavy emphasis on academic success, competition with
peers, and the belief that individual achievement brings honor to the family. Similarly, Pope
et al. (2001) reported that many high-achieving students in the United States experience
depression. In addition, a number of studies have also found that academic pressure may
performance does not satisfy parents, it will affect family relationships and result in parent-
child conflict, which may increase adolescents' problem behavior. Academic pressure
includes the pressure that parents place on adolescents (Huan et al., 2008).
Jacobs and Newstead (2000) suggest that it is necessary to understand the factors that cause
this stress. This can be achieved by conducting further research about the stressors of these
high-achieving students. Luo et al. (2020) conducted a study on academic pressure and
coping strategies among Chinese high school students. In their study, they found that social
support and self-efficacy were effective coping strategies for managing academic pressure.
This research will provide insights into the underlying causes of academic pressure in high-
achieving senior high school students and aid in the development of ways that can help them
manage stress and achieve their academic goals while maintaining good mental health.
These high achievers are prone to stress, being in such an environment. They are
pressured by many, including themselves. This issue should not be neglected as it can result
to poor academic performance and can also be negative for the students’ overall well-being.
Therefore, exploring the perceptions and experiences of high achieving senior high school
STEM students on academic pressure is important. This can lead to gaining insight on how to
help these students cope with the stress they face. Parents, teachers, and even students, must
take importance in tackling this issue as it can lead to a better future, a better environment.
An environment that truly fosters and develops the youth without costing them their mental
health.
The objective of this study is to gain a deeper understanding on the factors that
contribute and cause academic pressure in high-achieving senior high STEM students. By
exploring their perceptions and experiences on academic pressure, this study aims to seek
ways to cope and manage this pressure and help these top students with their academic
pursuits without the need to sacrifice their mental health and well-being.
The purpose of this study is to develop a better understanding of the various factors
that contribute to the academic pressure that high-achieving senior high STEM students face.
By conducting this study, methods to cope or manage academic stress will be uncovered or
developed. Exploring the perceptions and experiences of these students will help students
experiences of high-achieving senior high school STEM students enrolled in Leyte National
High School. Specifically, the study will seek to answer these following research questions:
1. How does the pressure experienced by high-achieving senior high school STEM
2. What coping mechanisms do high-achieving senior high school STEM students use to
3. How do high-achieving senior high school STEM students feel about seeking support
Students: Students will benefit from this study's findings by becoming more aware and
conscious of the various pressures they could encounter in their academic endeavors. With
this information, students can discover practical ways to deal with these pressures. This can
also cleat the discrimination and misunderstandings that some students have of top students.
Teachers. The findings of the study will give teachers a better understanding of the various
pressures that their students may face, as well as how these pressures can affect their
academic performance. Teachers can develop and adapt new ways to teach students. They
can also be more aware of the pressures their students face and in turn, help students reach
School administrators and policymakers. The study’s findings will benefit school
administrators and policy makers as it will help them attend to the needs of top students as
well as make new policies that will help foster the brilliant youth. This will also help them
assess already existing rules and policies, making it improve to be more bearable for all
students.
Future researchers. This can serve as a roadmap for further investigation. This can also
provide insights as to what studies future researchers can conduct. The findings in this study
can also be used to help give foundation to future researchers’ studies. Overall, it can have a
large contribution to the world of research by providing incites about academic pressure and
senior high school students in Leyte National High School. This will include how students in
this school perceive and experience academic pressure in their pursuit of excellence. Through
this study, we are to seek out or identify the coping mechanisms that senior-high STEM
achievers use to manage the pressure they face in their academic pursuits. Moreover, the
study will also explore how these students feel about asking for support from their family,
academic excellence from high school through senior high and have a general average of at
least 95. On this basis, we can filter out those students who experienced consistent academic
pressure. Thus, students are able to provide rich insights into their perceptions and
experiences of academic pressure, and we can ensure that these students can provide effective
coping mechanisms.
This research will only be conducted within Leyte National High School along with
the STEM strand. Therefore, the result may not be applicable to other schools or other tracks
or strands. On top of that, this study will only rely on the data from the participants, which
may produce biases. Finally, the study will only be applicable to students from the Leyte
National High School and not to the students’ teachers or parents, because it may provide a
different perspective.
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https://doi.org/10.1177/0734282910394976
Zhang, Y., Luo, X., Che, X., & Duan, W. (2016). Protective Effect of Self-Compassion to
Psychology, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01802
Luo, Y., Deng, Y., & Zhang, H. (2020). The influences of parental emotional warmth on the
among middle school students in China. Children and Youth Services Review, 114,
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Xu, T. T., Wang, H. Z., Fonseca, W., Zimmerman, M. A., Rost, D. H., Gaskin, J., et al.
10.1080/16066359.2018.1488967
Huan, V. S., See, Y. L., Ang, R. P., and Har, C. W. (2008). The impact of adolescent
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